One of the biggest eSports betting events for Counter-Strike 2 is just about ready to begin. The 2024 PGL Major Copenhagen, and its seven-figure prize pool, is set to start this Sunday, March 17. The interest in who wins, like always, is palpable as we near the opening round.
- What: 2024 PGL Major Copenhagen
- Game: Counter-Strike 2
- Start Date: Sunday, March 17 (First Stage)
- End Date: Sunday, March 31 (Championship)
- Venue: Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Number of Teams: 24
- Total Prize Pool: $1,250,000
- First Place Prize: $500,000
- Reigning Champion: w7m esports
This year’s crop of participants is absolutely stacked—arguably more so than usual. We’re here to figure out which teams are the best bets to emerge from the first stage of the PGL Major Copenhagen. To start us off, here’s a look at the latest online eSports betting odds for the tournament:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud9 | -303 | +225 | ECSTATIC |
| Eternal Fire | -244 | +177 | The Mongolz |
| Apeks | -222 | +165 | paiN Gaming |
| ENCE | -175 | +133 | Imperial |
| 9 Pandas | -123 | -106 | AMKAL ESPORTS |
| Heroic | -345 | +247 | Lynn Vision |
| FURIA | -244 | +177 | Legacy |
| sAw | -159 | +121 | KOI |
Click here for more CS:GO betting odds.
Please remember to keep checking these eSports betting odds right up until you place any wagers. Our 2024 Major Copenhagen betting odds are accurate entering Wednesday, March 13. That gives the best online sportsbooks in the United States plenty of time to make adjustments to their initial lines prior to the opening bell on Sunday, March 17.
Given the level of interest in this tournament, it might not be a bad idea to test out a new odds provider. Betting on eSports is becoming a huge part of the sports lexicon. And because the PGL Major Copenhagen ranks among the major championships for Counter-Strike 2, there should be plenty of attractive welcome bonuses and promotions from top sports betting sites.
As for the tournament, 16 of the participating 24 teams will be in action when the First Stage begins. The eight losers will be eliminated from the tournament altogether. Meanwhile, the eight winners will proceed to the elimination stage.
Which squads are most likely to make it through to the next round? We’re going rapid fire through our best selections now!
Why Heroic is the Heaviest Favorite for the First Stage of the 2024 PGL Major Copenhagen
Oddsmakers love Heroic (-345) to take down Lynn Vision (+247) in the first stage of the PGL Major Copenhagen. In fact, Heroic enters as the heaviest favorite of the week.
A net-positive kill-to-death ratio in major championships helps boost their chances. Most importantly, though, this roster is teeming with experience at the top.
Indeed, three members of the current five-person lineup have yet to play on this stage. However, users TeSeS and sjuush have each racked up 59 maps worth of play and turned in a total of 5,121 kills between them.
Lynn Vision just can’t hope to compete with this kind of veteran leadership. All five of their starters are appearing in their first major championship tournament.
OSB Prediction: Heroic (-345)
Will Cloud9 Cruise to Victory Against ECSTATIC?
Though the 2024 PGL Major Copenhagen betting lines give Cloud9 (-303) a decided edge over ECSTATIC (+225), some last-minute trepidation is starting to creep in.
Yes, Cloud9 remains inside the top 10 world ranking. But they are working off a loss to sAw and have also struggled mightily when playing the Mirage and Inferno maps.
In most cases, this could be cause for real concern. And as we enter the elimination stage (or beyond), it will be. But this is another instance of experience vs. new. Nobody on ECSTATIC has any major championship maps on their resume just yet. That bodes extremely well for the fate of Cloud9.
OSB Prediction: Cloud9 (-303)
Eternal Fire is Starting to Generate Some Serious Buzz Ahead of the PGL Major Copenhagen
Don’t let a 1-4 record during major championship play fool you. Eternal Fire (-244) is on a meteoric rise entering their PGL Major Copenhagen matchup with The Mongolz (+177).
Eternal Fire is currently ranked 11th in the world, and their standing could arguably be higher after hanging tough with best-in-the-world Faze Clan last month. However, a letdown against G2 likely cost them a spot in the top 10.
But it doesn't matter. Eternal Fire has still won over 69 percent of their matches and is now in their 166th consecutive week of top-30-in-the-world placement.
Concerns over their performance in major championships is fair. But they are only a minus-11 in total kills (402) vs. deaths (411) through 131 rounds of game play. That performance far outstrips the minus-69 owned by The Mongolz through their 137 rounds of gameplay.
OSB Prediction: Eternal Fire (-244)
9 Pandas vs. AMKAL ESPORTS Could be the Matchup of the Week
As things currently stand, no first stage matchup at the 2024 PGL Major Copenhagen is projected to be closer than 9 Pandas (-123) vs. AMKAL ESPORTS (-106). Neither team is paying out even money, and both squads will be making their Counter-Strike 2 major championship debut.
In what’s often a theme throughout these initial stages, it seems as if 9 Pandas is gaining the slight edge because of experience. They have logged 9,669 rounds of (non-major championship) gameplay between everyone on the roster. That easily outstrips the more fledgling AMKAL ESPORTS crew, which has tallied 813 total rounds.
And yet, AMKAL ESPORTS might just have the more balanced attack. They are winning more than half of their battles on four separate maps, and their winning percentage explodes past 70 percent whenever they land the first kill.
On top of that, while AMKAL ESPORTS has lost three of their past four matches, 9 Pandas is presently navigating a major slump. They have dropped six of their past seven games, half of which haven’t even been close. We like AMKAL ESPORTS to pull off the (very slight) upset.
OSB Prediction: AMKAL ESPORTS (-106)
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